Golf practice device



June 25, 1935. A. D. GRISSO I 2,0061137 GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed April 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet-l I N VEN TOR.

ARGHA D.GRISSO t 7 6 BY Mvw ' 144;. ATTORNEYS June 25, 1935-. A. D. Gmsso I GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1932 E WM 8 I R D A H C R A 4 A e ATTORNEY! swhenstriking a golf ball.

Patented June 25, 1935 PATENT ,O'FFI E-K;

GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Archa D. Grisso, FortWorth, Tex. Application April 28, 1932, Serial Nb. 607,985

. 2 Claims.

"This invention relates to the game of golf, and particularly to improvements'in devices for assisting a golf player to attain a greater degree 1' accuracy or skill inthe swinging of a golf club One object isto provide apractice golf ball formed with a round integral stem of resilient material and provided with a headed portion for I securing it in 'the'holding device contemplated "by thepres'ent invention.

' A further object isfto provide a mounting for i said stem ,whichwill permitof a turning 'or rotative movement thereof.

Another object consists .in the provision of .the

mounting for the 'golf ball and its stem [which will permit the player to replace worn balls with the greatest of ease. "A still further object consists in the provision of a holding device in which the golf ball and its stem may be inserted for use without the use of fastening or securing elements.

More specifically, the present invention comprises a hollow casing having its upper wall formed of a substantially flat-faced trapezoidal plate and a bottom which is curved or sloped downwardly longitudinally of the device from the end of greatest width to the end of reduced width. Preferably, the trapezoidal top plate, which has an opening therein through which the stem of the practice ball projects, has rounded corners and the opening in said plate assumes the form of an isosceles triangle with rounded corners. The sloping bottom wall of the holding device, which, for convenience, may be described as a hollow casing, has a depending, tubular portion in which the stem of the practice golf ball is secured. The holding device or casing is preferably provided with a frame into which it fits, said frame having three relatively long prongs for the purpose of securing the frame in the ground.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter, be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the practice golf ball removed and the holding frame omitted;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the hollow casing mounted in the securing frame and a practice golf ball positioned in the casing;

' Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the practice ball and its mounting orstem; I

' Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the'frame for, the holding deviceor casing;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the entire device as- 5 sembled, this viewbeing taken from the end of the device of greatest width;

Fig. 6 is a similar end view of the frame, the hollow casing being omitted;

Fig. '7 is aside view of the deviceasse'mbled;

Fig. 8 is a similar View showing the casing partially elevated out of its frame; and t Fig. 9 is an end view of theassembled device taken from the narrow end of the frame and casing. I v H As heretofore stated, the holdingdevice is preferably of trapezoidal outline with the. corners thereof rounded, and the top plate or upper wall of thecasing has an opening therein which is substantially in the shape of an isosceles triangle 20 with rounded corners. The inner side walls I of the casing are indicated by the dotted line I in Figure 1, and the narrow end 5 of the casing preferably has its edge portion beveled or rounded as indicated at 6 in Figs. 1 and 2. The bottom ll of the casing slopes downwardly from the wider portion 10 to the narrower portion 9 and at this latter point it is formed with a depending tubular portion l2, which is open at the bottom of the casing. The reference numeral l3, Fig. 7, indicates the exterior side surface of the casing bottom.

The opening in the tubular portion I2 of the casing bottom is in substantial alinement with the narrow rounded portion of the opening in the upper plate 20, as appears in Fig. 1, so that a mounting or stem for a golf ball may be inserted in the tubular opening and project upwardly through the narrow end of the opening in said 1 top plate. A practice golf ball, so assembled. is 40 shown in Figs. 2 and 7, and, as indicated by the arrows I and 8 in Fig. l, a player may strike the golf ball and cause it to be driven downwardly through the opening in the top plate against the higher portion of the bottom II, it being understood that the ball is carried by some flexible element which will permit such movement. Pref erably, the practice ball I4 is formed integrally with a stem !5, the end of the stem remote from the ball being enlarged, as at It, with the cross section of this enlarged portion correspondingwith the opening in the tubular portion l2. A further enlargement I1 is provided at the same end of the stem and this enlargement I1 is of such dimensions as to limit the upward move- 5 ment 'of the stem through the tubular portion l2 of the bottom, by engaging against the lower end l8 of said tubular portion. In other words, the ball I4 is inserted upward through said tubular portion, its upward movement being limited by the head I1 while the neat fit of the portion It in the tubular portion I2 is such as to prevent accidental downward movement of the stem with respect to the casing. With such a construction, it is apparent that the player himself can readily replaca a'mrm lialla'at anyttime he' wlslies', .becausedshemounting or stem-of the'ball is simply held in the device by the frictional engagement between portion I6 of the stem and the inner wan |9.of the tubular portion l2. Furthermore thev II I I shape; thestem of which is of reduced diameter,

frictional fit of these parts is such as to pe'rmita portions preferably being of rubber in order that the enlarged portion Hi can be placed under slight compression to insure proper retention or proper positioning of the ball and its mounting or stem in the device.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf practice device comprising a casing adapted for anchored dispositiin on the ground and provided with a cup-shaped recess and a vertical bore in its bottom wall, and a replaceable 'flaptive, sou b'allr mounted "therein, said lastme'ntioned member comprising aflexible unitary stud of resilient material, the upper portion of which is disposed above the top surface of said casing, and is of conventional golf ball size and turning or rotative movement of the -stem'mriund thealower por on f wh c s complementary 1 mounting, so that if any one portionpfethe ball becomes worn, the player may prolong'the use thereof by turning it to present a perfect-spheri cal surfaceto the face of the club used in striking "the'b'all.

. Preferably, the ca'sing'l is "placed in. a securing frame, 'such 'asshown inFigs'. 1 to Said, frame conforms in-shapeitoflshe cross sectionaljshape .of. the casing and is providediwith rounded corners' 2; 3 and 4, 'ahdwlth prongs .at its corners 1 by which theentire' 'devicelcahbeifirmly anchored *in the'ground, it b 11 8 .unders'toodithat a" small portion of earth is removed to accommodatelthe "casing. "Thei side surfaces ,'of the 1 casing ,top and I ofsalidframe are'incidated at J2l iii Fi'g'sJl and 5. I I I tion; said-stem portion'exteiidlpg'fthroiigh.rsaid By providingthe casing With the sloping .orv in- "clinedbottomwall;f'the stem 'of the practice ball, 35 "whichis'preferablyofrubber, cannot be subjected to undue .bending,.b ecause when theball isz'struck and 'defiected idownwardly into the casing," its '1 movement is 'limit'e'd by the; higher portion or the bottonrwall. iIt 'ii/ili 'also'be understood thatthe 40 "ball'itselftiSpreferabIymadepf rubber, as is'also I *the'nlarged p0rtion bfthestemgthes letter to the bore .in said casing and terminates in an enlarged head which prevents upward extraction ofnuthetaud from said bore, said stem portion and balls-shaped top surface being insertable intoand "capable "of iwithdrawal 'from I the casing recess "thrdnghm'aid'bore' 217A golf practice'device comprising atiframe, *projections'onsaidframe'fonanchoringi the frame; .in the ground, a recessedjcasingg'removablytsupported in "saidrrame'jisaid" casing having a Ivertical :bore iniits botton'rjwall a resilient member having" the upper portionthereof "of conventional golfball shape and size and normally. positioned above the top surface of the casin sal d'meinber' having astem portionT-ilItBgtaLlWlthSalid liallsporbore, andvan enlargement on saidstem.engage- {ableagainstthe outer surface hr the casingLbase forpreventing upward'removal '"of said lmfllnber,

"the ball and stem portion-"of "said inemberfgbeing insertable into, and capableof withdrawalfrom,

'- the casing throughsaid' bore in the casing base. I 

